We compare here the graduation rates at four-year colleges for the six years ending in 2008 with the rates for the six years ending in 2003. Because rates can spike up or down in a particular year, we also show a separate comparison that tends to reduce the effect of those outliers on differences in colleges' rates over time. To make this comparison, we averaged each college's rates in 2003 and 2008 with rates in the immediately preceeding years, then compared the averages. To further illustrate changes over time at each college, we show in boldface type any rate that increased over the one in the immediately preceeding year. Figures are rounded. About These Data

** Change in averaged graduation rates: the difference, in percentage points, of the average of the rates for 2001 and 2002 compared with the average of the rates for 2007 and 2008.

Institution

Change in percentage points, 2003-8

Change in averaged graduation rates**

Change in admissions selectivity

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

San Diego State U

17

18

none

38%

44%

46%

53%

58%

56%

61%

George Mason U

12

11

none

49%

49%

53%

53%

56%

58%

61%

Georgia State U

12

12

less

35%

32%

41%

40%

41%

47%

44%

Temple U

12

12

none

47%

54%

54%

57%

59%

59%

65%

U of Pittsburgh main campus

12

12

more

63%

65%

67%

70%

73%

75%

76%

U of Minnesota-Twin Cities

11

10

none

54%

54%

56%

61%

61%

63%

66%

U of Maryland, College Park

11

11

less

69%

71%

73%

77%

79%

80%

82%

Utah State U

11

0

n/a

56%

42%

45%

47%

48%

45%

53%

Illinois State U

11

9

none

57%

59%

62%

63%

64%

65%

70%

U of Louisville

11

11

less

33%

35%

33%

37%

41%

44%

46%

Texas Woman's U

11

6

none

39%

35%

42%

35%

39%

41%

46%

Ohio State U

11

12

more

59%

62%

62%

68%

71%

71%

73%

Ball State U

11

11

more

47%

49%

52%

54%

57%

58%

59%

U of Louisiana, Lafayette

11

11

more

30%

30%

32%

39%

40%

41%

40%

U of Central Florida

9

9

none

50%

54%

55%

57%

58%

59%

63%

U of Arkansas, Fayetteville

9

11

more

46%

48%

53%

56%

56%

58%

58%

Indiana U-Purdue U, Indianapolis

9

10

more

21%

23%

22%

26%

27%

31%

32%

U of Massachusetts, Lowell

8

4

more

44%

42%

46%

46%

46%

44%

51%

North Carolina State U

8

7

none

64%

63%

67%

71%

70%

70%

72%

Georgia Southern U

8

8

none

36%

37%

38%

41%

43%

45%

45%

U of California, Santa Barbara

8

8

none

71%

74%

75%

79%

78%

80%

81%

U of Oklahoma, Norman

8

8

none

53%

52%

55%

55%

57%

61%

60%

Georgia Inst of Tech

8

9

less

68%

69%

72%

76%

77%

78%

77%

U of Missouri, St. Louis

8

8

none

36%

38%

45%

43%

42%

43%

46%

Rutgers U, Newark

8

8

none

49%

51%

54%

58%

57%

57%

59%

Clemson U

7

7

none

72%

72%

72%

75%

75%

78%

79%

U of Texas, Austin

7

7

none

71%

71%

74%

75%

77%

78%

78%

Virginia Commonwealth U

7

7

none

39%

42%

40%

43%

45%

47%

49%

Washington State U

7

4

none

62%

60%

60%

63%

60%

63%

67%

New Jersey Inst of Tech

7

6

more

47%

49%

53%

54%

54%

51%

55%

Old Dominion U

7

7

more

41%

42%

46%

48%

49%

49%

49%

Florida State U

7

6

more

63%

63%

65%

66%

68%

69%

70%

U of North Texas

7

6

none

38%

39%

40%

43%

45%

44%

45%

U of Georgia

7

7

less

70%

71%

72%

73%

75%

77%

78%

U of Connecticut

7

6

none

69%

70%

71%

72%

74%

75%

76%

U of Cincinnati main campus

7

5

less

49%

48%

48%

49%

52%

52%

55%

U of Washington

6

6

none

70%

71%

73%

74%

75%

75%

77%

U of California, Santa Cruz

6

4

none

67%

65%

69%

70%

70%

68%

72%

Purdue U, West Lafayette

6

6

more

64%

66%

64%

66%

70%

69%

72%

U of Oregon

6

7

none

58%

60%

62%

63%

63%

65%

66%

Michigan State U

6

6

more

69%

69%

71%

74%

74%

74%

75%

U of West Florida

6

7

none

39%

38%

41%

42%

42%

48%

44%

Jackson State U

6

3

less

35%

37%

40%

38%

35%

36%

43%

U of South Carolina, Columbia

6

4

more

60%

61%

64%

65%

63%

63%

67%

U of Wisconsin, Madison

6

5

less

75%

76%

76%

77%

78%

79%

81%

U of Delaware

5

5

none

72%

74%

76%

76%

76%

78%

80%

U of Texas, El Paso

5

5

none

25%

26%

27%

28%

29%

29%

31%

Central Michigan U

5

7

none

47%

52%

55%

55%

57%

57%

57%

Texas A&M U, Kingsville

5

5

none

26%

22%

27%

28%

32%

30%

27%

U of Massachusetts, Amherst

5

6

more

61%

64%

62%

66%

66%

67%

69%

SUNY, Stony Brook

5

5

none

54%

56%

58%

59%

59%

59%

61%

U at Buffalo

5

6

none

54%

57%

60%

59%

61%

61%

62%

Wichita State U

5

5

more

37%

34%

37%

37%

36%

42%

38%

U of Maryland-Baltimore County

5

6

none

53%

55%

55%

58%

56%

61%

59%

U of Memphis

5

3

none

34%

33%

36%

33%

34%

34%

38%

U of Florida

5

5

none

77%

77%

78%

79%

79%

81%

82%

Indiana State U

4

4

none

37%

39%

40%

39%

41%

41%

43%

Virginia Tech

4

4

less

74%

74%

74%

76%

79%

78%

78%

U of Nebraska, Lincoln

4

7

none

54%

59%

62%

63%

62%

63%

64%

U of California, Berkeley

4

4

more

84%

85%

87%

87%

89%

88%

90%

Florida Atlantic U

4

2

none

38%

35%

37%

37%

37%

38%

39%

Arizona State U, Tempe

4

4

less

52%

52%

55%

55%

56%

56%

56%

U of Toledo main campus

4

3

none

43%

42%

45%

42%

44%

45%

46%

Montana State U, Bozeman

4

5

none

41%

44%

47%

47%

50%

48%

48%

Michigan Tech U

4

1

none

64%

61%

63%

59%

61%

64%

65%

U of Alabama, Huntsville

4

6

less

37%

44%

45%

44%

44%

44%

48%

Texas Tech U

4

4

none

52%

54%

54%

55%

56%

56%

57%

East Tennessee State U

4

4

none

34%

38%

38%

39%

40%

38%

42%

U of Idaho

3

3

none

51%

53%

54%

57%

54%

53%

57%

Texas A&M U, College Station

3

3

none

75%

75%

76%

77%

77%

78%

78%

U of Nevada, Las Vegas

3

3

more

37%

38%

41%

41%

39%

41%

41%

U of Michigan, Ann Arbor

3

3

none

84%

85%

87%

86%

87%

88%

88%

U of Wisconsin, Milwaukee

3

2

less

40%

39%

37%

42%

43%

41%

42%

Wright State U, Dayton

3

4

none

37%

40%

41%

41%

43%

43%

43%

Louisiana State U, Baton Rouge

3

2

more

57%

56%

56%

57%

57%

58%

59%

U of Northern Colorado

3

2

none

47%

47%

45%

46%

49%

48%

50%

U of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

3

3

none

80%

83%

81%

84%

84%

83%

86%

U of Arkansas, Little Rock

3

0

less

22%

18%

26%

21%

24%

19%

21%

U of Illinois, Chicago

3

4

more

44%

46%

45%

50%

51%

50%

48%

U of Alaska, Fairbanks

3

-2

less

37%

24%

25%

22%

29%

31%

27%

Wayne State U

3

1

none

34%

31%

32%

33%

36%

32%

34%

U of Missouri, Columbia

3

2

more

65%

66%

68%

66%

69%

67%

69%

U of California, Los Angeles

3

4

more

85%

87%

87%

87%

89%

90%

89%

U of Arizona

2

2

less

55%

55%

57%

59%

56%

56%

57%

Mississippi State U

2

2

less

56%

57%

58%

56%

58%

58%

60%

Rutgers U, New Brunswick

2

2

n/a

72%

72%

71%

71%

73%

73%

75%

U of California, Irvine

2

3

less

76%

79%

80%

80%

79%

80%

81%

Colorado Sch of Mines

2

5

none

59%

66%

67%

67%

68%

67%

68%

U of California, San Diego

2

3

more

81%

83%

83%

85%

86%

84%

85%

U of North Carolina, Greensboro

2

2

none

48%

50%

50%

51%

52%

50%

53%

Penn State, U Park

2

3

less

80%

82%

83%

84%

85%

84%

85%

U of New Mexico, Albuquerque

2

1

none

44%

42%

40%

41%

42%

44%

44%

U of Texas, Dallas

2

3

none

52%

57%

56%

56%

55%

55%

59%

U of Rhode Island

2

1

none

58%

56%

57%

56%

57%

58%

58%

SUNY C of Environmental Science and Forestry

2

-1

less

71%

69%

65%

63%

62%

66%

71%

Southern Illinois U, Carbondale

2

5

none

39%

43%

43%

41%

42%

46%

45%

U of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

2

2

more

63%

62%

61%

63%

63%

65%

64%

Kansas State U

2

2

more

55%

56%

63%

56%

59%

58%

58%

U of Kansas

2

2

more

57%

58%

57%

59%

59%

60%

60%

Iowa State U

2

1

more

65%

66%

66%

68%

66%

66%

67%

U of Houston main campus

2

4

none

37%

40%

39%

40%

42%

43%

42%

U of North Carolina, Charlotte

2

3

none

46%

49%

47%

49%

50%

51%

51%

Florida International U

1

3

more

44%

47%

47%

48%

48%

49%

49%

Oklahoma State U, Stillwater

1

2

none

55%

58%

58%

59%

59%

58%

60%

Oregon State U

1

2

more

59%

61%

60%

61%

60%

61%

62%

U of Vermont

1

2

none

70%

70%

67%

65%

67%

72%

71%

U of Alabama, Birmingham

1

1

none

38%

39%

38%

36%

36%

38%

40%

Indiana U, Bloomington

1

2

none

69%

72%

71%

72%

72%

72%

73%

U of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

1

2

none

80%

81%

80%

83%

82%

82%

82%

U of Virginia

1

1

less

92%

92%

92%

93%

92%

93%

93%

Colorado State U, Fort Collins

1

0

less

63%

62%

64%

63%

64%

62%

63%

Missouri U of Science and Tech

1

3

less

55%

60%

64%

64%

63%

61%

61%

U of Tennessee, Knoxville

1

0

none

58%

59%

59%

57%

60%

58%

60%

C of William and Mary

1

1

none

91%

90%

89%

91%

91%

91%

91%

Northern Arizona U

1

2

none

46%

52%

50%

48%

47%

48%

53%

East Carolina U

1

0

none

54%

54%

53%

54%

56%

54%

54%

Portland State U

0

1

none

33%

33%

34%

35%

37%

35%

34%

Miami U, Oxford

0

0

less

81%

80%

80%

80%

81%

80%

81%

U of North Dakota

0

2

more

49%

54%

54%

56%

53%

54%

54%

U of New Hampshire, Durham

0

1

none

72%

73%

72%

73%

74%

74%

73%

Indiana U of Pa

0

1

none

49%

51%

50%

47%

49%

51%

51%

U of California, Davis

0

1

none

78%

81%

81%

80%

81%

79%

81%

Texas A&M U, Commerce

0

2

none

34%

36%

38%

34%

35%

38%

36%

U of Nevada, Reno

0

0

none

47%

48%

49%

52%

49%

46%

48%

Kent State U main campus

0

2

more

46%

49%

49%

46%

47%

51%

49%

U of California, Riverside

0

0

none

66%

64%

64%

65%

64%

66%

64%

New Mexico State U, Las Cruces

0

-1

none

46%

43%

43%

42%

37%

45%

43%

U of Utah

0

4

none

49%

51%

48%

43%

46%

56%

51%

Oakland U

0

2

none

41%

44%

47%

45%

44%

44%

44%

U of Mississippi

0

-2

none

57%

56%

54%

56%

56%

53%

56%

U of Texas, Arlington

0

0

none

36%

37%

38%

40%

42%

37%

36%

Ohio U, Athens

-1

0

less

70%

70%

70%

71%

71%

70%

70%

West Virginia U, Morgantown

-1

-1

none

56%

56%

54%

54%

55%

55%

56%

U of Maine, Orono

-1

2

none

54%

60%

56%

53%

59%

59%

59%

Cleveland State U

-1

3

none

24%

27%

27%

30%

31%

31%

26%

South Dakota State U

-1

-1

more

55%

53%

55%

54%

54%

54%

53%

U of Massachusetts, Boston

-1

-1

none

35%

34%

28%

35%

36%

33%

33%

Western Michigan U

-1

0

none

53%

56%

55%

54%

54%

54%

55%

U of South Florida

-1

1

less

46%

49%

47%

48%

49%

49%

48%

U of Colorado, Boulder

-1

0

none

67%

68%

66%

66%

66%

67%

67%

U of New Orleans

-1

0

none

22%

24%

25%

24%

25%

24%

22%

Northern Illinois U

-2

0

none

51%

53%

51%

53%

48%

52%

51%

Binghamton U

-2

-2

none

79%

80%

78%

77%

78%

77%

78%

SUNY, Albany

-2

0

none

62%

66%

63%

62%

63%

64%

64%

University of Colorado Denver (Health Sciences Program)

-2

-4

none

44%

39%

39%

42%

36%

39%

37%

U of Colorado, Denver and Health Sciences Ctr

-2

-4

none

44%

39%

39%

42%

36%

39%

37%

U of Southern Mississippi

-3

-3

less

51%

46%

48%

46%

46%

48%

43%

U of South Dakota

-3

0

more

43%

50%

43%

46%

49%

47%

46%

U of Hawaii-Manoa

-3

-1

none

53%

54%

56%

51%

51%

55%

51%

U of Kentucky

-3

0

none

58%

61%

60%

60%

59%

61%

58%

Auburn U main campus

-3

-4

none

68%

68%

65%

62%

63%

63%

64%

South Carolina State U

-4

-5

none

51%

49%

53%

47%

54%

45%

45%

Florida A&M U

-4

-4

none

43%

45%

46%

45%

42%

39%

41%

U of Wyoming

-4

-1

less

54%

57%

56%

58%

56%

57%

53%

Louisiana Tech U

-5

-6

more

55%

52%

51%

49%

49%

48%

48%

U of Montana, Missoula

-5

-4

none

43%

45%

44%

44%

42%

41%

40%

U of Missouri, Kansas City

-6

-4

none

45%

41%

44%

46%

45%

43%

35%

Idaho State U

9

4

none

21%

22%

21%

21%

27%

20%

32%

North Dakota State U

-6

-4

more

48%

53%

52%

55%

51%

47%

47%

North Carolina A&T State U

-6

-3

less

40%

44%

43%

40%

38%

41%

38%

U of Akron main campus

-7

-5

none

36%

40%

35%

35%

37%

34%

33%

Bowling Green State U main campus

-7

-5

none

60%

65%

60%

60%

60%

57%

58%

Morgan State U

-7

-4

less

38%

39%

39%

42%

40%

38%

32%

Tennessee State U

-9

-8

more

47%

45%

44%

44%

40%

40%

36%

The entry for Idaho State University was updated on December 20, 2010, to include revised data submitted by the university to the U.S. Education Department.

About These Data

The Chronicle analyzed changes in graduation rates reported by more than 1,000, four-year public and private nonprofit colleges and universities. We examined only institutions classified as research, master's, or Baccalaureate Colleges—Arts & Sciences by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in 2005.

These rates, which colleges report annually to the U.S. Education Department, are calculated as the percentage of all first-time, full-time students entering in the fall seeking bachelor's degrees who completed bachelor's degrees within six years. At some institutions, this definition excludes a significant number of students, for example, those enrolled part time.

The column labels showing a single year -- 2002 through 2008 -- refer to the final year of six-year periods. The six-year period ending in 2008 was the most recent for which comprehensive data were available from the Education Department when The Chronicle published these tables. The six-year period ending in 2002 was the first for which all colleges participating in federal-aid programs were required to report the data to the Education Department. Figures are rounded.

In these tables, we compare rates for the six years ending in 2008 against rates from five years earlier, in 2003.

A college's graduation rate sometimes spikes up or down in a particular year. To account for such fluctuations, The Chronicle also averaged the graduation rates for 2002 and 2003 and compared those sums with the averages of the 2007 and 2008 rates. That approach yielded results similar to those shown when only 2003 and 2008 were compared.

Colleges typically describe their graduation rates using a similar but slightly different set of data, which includes students who completed any degree program, such as associate degrees. The Education Department recommends examining only students seeking bachelor's degrees when comparing four-year institutions because it facilitates consistent comparisons and because producing bachelor's recipients is a core mission of those institutions.

The Chronicle's analysis recognizes that a college's graduation rate may rise if its admissions become more selective. Greater selectivity typically brings more academically prepared students, who in turn are more likely to complete degrees within six years. Conversely, graduation rates can slip when institutions become less selective. We labeled institutions that became more or less selective during the period covered by these graduation rates. The source was Barron's Profile of American Colleges, which assigns colleges among seven tiers of selectivity. We recorded whether a college changed tiers from 1996-7 to 2001-2.

Other changes in student demographics could also have increased how each institution's rate changed over time, and this analysis did not further account for those effects.

Comments

1.millvinc - December 14, 2010 at 11:45 am

The graduation rates printed in the table for Idaho State University are incorrect. The correct 6-year graduation rates for the time periods listed in the table for first-time, full-time students seeking bachelor's degrees who completed bachelor's degrees within six years is 30% to 33%. The institution corrected this data with IPEDS.

2.12076763 - December 20, 2010 at 10:45 pm

Idaho State University submitted to the U.S. Education Department a revised graduation rate of 32 percent for the six-year period ending in 2008. The Chronicle revised this table to show that figure for that year. Education Department rules do not allow Idaho State to revise data submitted to the department for years before that, and The Chronicle is showing in these tables only the figures reported by the department.